The five minutes of madness that could earn Lynch a lengthy AFL ban

Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch is facing at least a four-match suspension if found guilty of striking Adelaide defender Jordon Butts late in the second quarter on Sunday after he was sent straight to the AFL tribunal.

The match review officer rated his action intentional, high and severe, meaning he could be rubbed out for four or more matches under tribunal guidelines.

That Lynch is facing a lengthy ban is no surprise. In fact, there was enough activity at the MCG on Sunday to predict his volcanic, reportable eruption just before half-time: the key forward was also fined for engaging in a melee in the first quarter and for striking Butts in an earlier incident in the second term.

Tightly checked by Butts, the veteran’s frustration had been evident early.

He tapped Adelaide defender Josh Worrell’s head with his foot as the 24-year-old lay on the ground after Lynch spoiled his marking attempt. Worrell had drifted into the hole and Lynch made sure he spoiled the ball – as any good key forward would.

Lynch’s frustration began to translate into free kicks early in the second quarter when he held on to Butts as the ball left the Tigers’ forward line. He asked the umpire politely enough to watch the holding, his disappointment at not being paid a free kick obvious as he stood on the mark after conceding one.

But whenever Lynch managed to separate himself from Butts, Worrell was able to cut off his marking attempts.

Nothing untoward had happened, but as time passed without a kick or a touch, it appeared Lynch’s mood started to shift.

Then, with five minutes remaining before half-time, the lead growing and Lynch’s impact on the game nonexistent, he began to lash out.

The first sign that he may be better off cooling his jets on the bench arrived when he threw an open hand at Butts, which hit the stoic defender on his back. Butts went to the ground as Sam Berry remonstrated with Lynch. The veteran, who has been a lone hand in attack at Richmond for most of the season, copped a $1000 fine with an early plea for that act. He was left out there even as commentator Hamish McLachlan said on Channel Seven: “I can’t stop watching Tom Lynch. I reckon he is in one of those moods where he could do something silly.”

The premiership forward kept arguing with the umpire as the ball drifted into the Crows’ forward line, his complaints beginning to wear thin on umpire Jeff Dalgleish, who told Lynch: “I’m not copping this.”

Richmond coach Adem Yze – who seemed more concerned with the free kicks being given away than the foreboding sense Lynch’s actions might get him in trouble – said after the game that any thoughts of taking the marking forward off were stymied by Mykelti Lefau’s calf injury which had led to him being subbed just before Lynch’s first undisciplined act.

Lefau’s absence robbed the Tigers’ forward line of a marking target and someone strong who could block for Lynch; the inexperienced Jonty Faull was battling hard to find the ball himself.

So Lynch, still on the field, seemed to decide that he wasn’t copping any more treatment, but someone else should. As the ball headed in his direction, Butts was giving him no peace, grabbing him and bumping as Lynch prepared to fly for another mark only to be suddenly surrounded by three Adelaide defenders.

As soon as he lost the contest, he swung a reckless round arm to the back of Butts’ head rather than chase the ball. Lynch brought back the biff. No one was hurt, so there is no need for hysteria; nor is the incident comparable to more notorious football acts. Grading the act as severe is debatable. But it was ugly, and both Lynch and Butts were lucky more damage wasn’t done.

It was no way to handle the situation, although it is an approach Lynch, and many other great forwards, have taken when they decided the treatment they were getting in contests required a response.

Lynch has only missed two matches through suspension in his career (he was suspended for one match in round one this season for bumping Carlton’s Tom De Koning), but he is not a forward to mess with when competing for the ball. By half-time, he had no touches but had conceded five free kicks. Three of those free kicks were given away in the final two minutes of the second quarter.

He has now conceded 19 free kicks this season and received just nine. That’s not dissimilar to Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron (13 frees for, 19 free kicks against) and North Melbourne’s Cam Zurhaar (nine frees for, 18 against) but not as favourable as Carlton’s freewheeling Charlie Curnow (19 frees for, 17 frees against) and the Giants’ Jesse Hogan (12 frees for, eight frees against) this season.

Yze’s post-match response was to say there was “no excuse” for Lynch’s action. But he then claimed that the way the premiership forward was being umpired contributed to his mood.

“We’re going to seek clarification on the marking contests ... he’s feeling like he’s getting held,” Yze said.

While there was no doubt that was true, the player’s response was way over the top. Crows coach Matthew Nicks said they knew they “were doing something right” when frustrations boiled over for the Tigers’ leader.

The vigilante mentality never prevails, and Lynch will the face the tribunal for an action that luckily didn’t cause any serious damage to the unflappable Butts.

“It was a ruthless performance,” Nicks said as he praised the defender.

Lynch will miss matches unless the Tigers mount a miracle defence. If found guilty, he will miss at least four matches.

The question is how the Tigers can help him not give away free kicks when frustration overwhelms him. The coach and player will have time to ponder that one.

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